Alfred North Whitehead (1862-1947) was an influential philosopher who worked across disciplines. One of his more famous and influential arguments is that reality was best understood as a process. More than a few thinkers agreed with him, leading to schools of process theology and process philosophy. In the US, perhaps the most influential process thinker, again working across disciplines, is John B. Cobb. Cobb, through decades of writing, teaching and speaking, has wedded theology, philosophy, and environmentalism. Knowing and appreciating this intellectual thread is essential to reading Stephen C. Rowe’s collection of essays, Two Americas: Liberal Education and the Crisis of Democracy.
Rowe is a philosophy professor at Grand Valley State University. His essays posit two radically different ideas of modernity. One is about individualism, with a focus on the pursuit of happiness through choice and capitalism. This, he asserts, is the way that most Americans function. The other path is relational, inclusive, pluralistic, democratic and grounded in sustainable practices. Rowe’s values and interest clearly go to the latter.
From this framework, Rowe looks at the various ways that higher education introduces, reinforces and supports one or the other world views. He also examines higher education in and of itself – not just what it does but how it does it – to understand these differences. He believes that an educated populace is essential to democratic life and culture – and that higher education can do more and do it differently to promote this inclusive, pluralistic and sustainable worldview.
Many of Rowe’s criticisms and observations make sense, whether you accept process thinking or not. His recommendations, however, demand that the reader at least give process philosophy consideration. It is, in many ways, a philosopher’s attempt to energize the academy.
David Potash